Luggage rack or support



Oct. 28, 1930. 1 M. L. CLELAND LUGGAGE RACK OR SUPPORT Fil ed March 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l "II/Al my -1)- GZeZancZ- 871930. MLCLELAND 1,779,661

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1950 1 15 the rearbum 7 as said connecting portions When .Mnn vm' L, 'CLE'LAND, or irn srrnesfnnnn I I Z'IIIRI-NG-QQMBANY, OEHA STINGSti-NEB AsKnnssrGnon 'ro G, a. )Rolrii ,MANUFA ce f nnskn, A .CORPIQEATIQNTQFiNEBRASKg linemennsoiifdn surroltrj i i I np u-can-mi fileu team, 1980.? "emulate-1434344.

r This invention has to do-tvitli lu gg'agepan riers for'usewith autemobile vehioles and is designed for attachment tothe renter-rear bumper "of such a vehiele; In additionto -the luggage 'Carrying featureofmy'carrier,:I construct a'n dgappl-y the same to the vehicle in such a manner, referring more specifically to the rear bumper, that the carrier'while use vv'ill not interfere Withthe expeditiousire" 1 :moval of the tire vehicle. v I r a Anotherfnovel feature connected with my construction involves the utilizationof brack- "ets applicable'ito the opposite end p'ortions of per, or bumperette's as the Case a rack slidably clamped inim'emmounted at the rearof- 'the may be, and

bers'i'connectedt'o thebrackets..v The clamp is v -Uf Siti-'Cl-1GOHStIUCtiOIi as to grip certain portimes of the rack over a substantial area, there- 20 iby*preventing the possibility T of wobbling movement of the rank inrsaid members, The .aciamping portion engages practically entire ily around said rackportions, and this clainp- "ing con-nectien provides for rigid adjustment 25 of the :raek in the bracketto a y minute de- 1 gr'ee desired. This confiruction -is advantageous over thosehereto foro in vogue, both l asito the degree of adjustment'possibl'eyan'd therigid-ity of theparts'whenadjusted; a Another notable feature-of my invent-ion lies in the fact that the portions connecting the rackfwith the braeket nem bers are =provided Withoifsets constitutin the clamping means, said offsets extending totthe rear of i the latter are in inoperative position. With this construction, it is evident that the luggage supporting rack, even when in inoperative position, is

V spaced from the spare tire a distancegreater in than would otherwise be the case, with the result'that the tire is easily removable from its support even When the rack occupies its inoperative position.

From the above it will be apparen t that 1 Whatever position the luggage rack occupies,

there is suificient freedom vfor insertion and removal of thespare tire Without changing the adjustment of the rack.

Provision is made for the expeditious ad- 50 ju'stment of the rack in any desired position arid' ctor theisp'eedyfatt aehmentzandremoval of :the bracl' iets to and from thebiimper orbump-' eite'ttesi -i V 1 e a 1. Y The" eonstruc'tion" outlined above and form'- King the fess'ence" of my-vlnvention contains a x rminimum number er par-ts, Whi'ehifeature iv vlo'ws "for' 'sirnpiicity of operation, low host of. :p're duction, 2 and attachment detachment a i-Without'the employment 40 i:specialxtoolskor,

f :1 5:.1 560 211M33 inventionis;also:capableEof applieation H skilled.- labor'. 1 I

H or {to the frontbumpr asfset rfortliherein above and furthermore 5 to thej I bumper tsu pport 7 whether at the front 0=I"a1.t 1tlie IHQthij event of the application oirthe luggage rack to the bumperv si ipporti,-:an-a dva-ntage 'isiga'i-ned that the top of the bumper itself serves to mes additionallySupport the:ra'ckswhen the same I is'in per-ative position, thereby relievingthe bump er support of afee'rtai-n iam oulit 'ofstiness. For aiulland moreeomplete understanding of invention, reference--maybe had to' the i'ollowingdescrptiomand accompanying d'ra ings, 1-I-1'W1l-11Cl1:?-' r lii-grere l is a ffraginentarygperspeetive View of: the rear oianaautonaobile vehicle, showing anynovel luggage carrieriattayehed thereto, and sh'owingtl e relation thereoflNvrhen in in: operative positiemfto the spare-tirenttaehed tothe'vehiclegi rack when in operative 7p, sitiorn; he-bu-Inper portion to-nvhich is .attachcd beingfshown in .w s iiQ r an h d ted; 1 1 i ffi fs pei it on ia i l tment to): e 1 l? J .Fig ure {Sis anenlalg f'd fragmenta y s c,- ftionalvie'w talien approximately thepl ne indicated by the line 3%3111 igure2, certain parts being shotvnin elevation?" "F gli 'i 11u tratingthe manneref'attachin nt of one of the'earrier ibraeke s t o the bumper-er bnmper'ette, c rtain ip' rts' being shown in elevation. 1 I Figure 5Ii1lustrate's the sarne' .gagecarr ier 'appliedto the rear- P I- 6 .j. r: I o ;Figure 6 is a; view -ill-u tratiang my; im :P- Q ed u gage nk apn e t b mfier'r i an-fau emab si; 1 I v p ri l e 4- is a fragmentar s ars-1n new i ldifiating ".a v v lee V to the front bumper support in operative Figure 7 is a view similar'to Figure 6 illustrating my improved luggage rack applied vided with bumpers or bumperettes, I have g chosen toavail' myself of bumperettes' D for purposes of illustration only since, as will appear as the description proceeds, my inven tion is applicable equally well to acomplete rear bumper.

. .ThQDOIlStILlCtlOII embodying myfinvention includes a:;.substantially "IL-shaped bracket member l'having its upper ofl'setend 2 forked torprovideiapairof-a-rms: 3. Aplate 4 is W.

lcla mas new and desire to secure by Let- 5 adapted to be disposed opposite theportion5 of the bracket '1, said plate and portion 5 straddling the bumper D and attached there- 5 to by any suitable means as illustrated at 18 as shown in the various figures. The arms 3 .portlng; me

cooperate with the shank 6 of a-rack sup mber- .torpro'vide a forked hinge joint at 7 allowing free pivotalmovenient of f the shank 6 and the rack supportedthereby, .but including bolt and nutmeans to tighten the parts for immovably holding the I said parts against pivotal'movement. The upper endof the portion 5 provides a seat 8 on which the'edge portion9 of each shank 6 is adapted to rest when said shank'6 is in a substantially horizontal position. Theseats 8 thereby cooperate with the hinge joints 7 to oompletely support the'luggage carrylng rack.

Each shank 6 is' provid d with anjoffset 10 including a clamping member 11 hayin a channel groove12-adapted to snugly -and slidably receive the side frame 13 of the luggage-carrier 14:. A-plate 15-is applied to theside of the frame 13 opposite that fittingin the groove 12 of the clamping member 11. It will be noted that the-flanges '16 of the clamping member 11 extendfrom- 'said member a distance slightly'less than the thicknesjs' of theframei13.FWith bolt and i I nut means 17 passing through the clamping '1 member andplates 11"and andstraddling the: frame-13,11; willbe apparent that, by

inhibited and a rigid connection is provided at all times. I

While bolt-and nut means havebeen i1 lustrated asproviding the clamping and 19 of the rear bumper and the bumper support20 of the front bumper, respectively. In each case the bracket is appliedas heretofore outlinedand' as is very evident espe- -ciallyfromiFigure 7, the front bumper 21 0 serves to iadditionally supportthe luggage rack, tothe'reby' relieve the bumper support .of a certain amount-of stress.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat ters Patent of the United States, is'

-1. ;In-, a. luggage carrier. of the class. described,-'supporting means j-having bifurcated portions for-straddling a bumper, .bracket means having pivotal connection with: said supporting 'means,- a luggage rack, said bracket means. hav1n-g,-outwardly arranged clamp portions adapted to slidably receive said luggage rack, and instrumentalities for holding said rack'against-movement relative to-said means- ,1, '2. Inv aluggagecarrier of the class described, a bracket-adapted for-1 attachmentto a bumper, a rack having frame members,

said bracket having means-to slidably'receive and clamp said frame members,said means including members having channels lnwlnch said frame members fit, each member-having associated. therewith another member adapted to cooperate therewith to receivea frame a member, and. instrumentalities to hold each pair of members in clamped. relation to one of said frame members, the members of. each pair being spaced apart when in operative position in-order not to interfere with'the.

clamping action of said instrumentalities. V p

In testimonywhereofI afliX my signature.

'1MELVIN L. CLELANDL reasonofthe, space between theflanges 16 and the plate15, it .is possible to secure a very tightand rigid connection between the V J The bolt frame 13 and theclamping means. means 17 may be loosened whenever de-' sired, and the frame-13shifted, within lim-' its, to any degree desired,.thereby providing for a minute adjustment, which at times is very-desirable. It-will be noted asclearly illustratedin Figure 1, that the clampmg meansengages-the'frame 13 overa very substantial area,so that lateral movement of theframe 13 within theclamping means is 

